How The Media You Consume Influences Your Psychedelic Trip

Ever had a dream that contained characters or elements of the plot from a TV show you’d been watching that evening? Ever dreamt of a particular person after stalking them on Insta just before bed? You ever had a Simpsons character turn up in your dream, like, no big deal?

Most likely, this, or something similar has happened to you. It’s pretty standard stuff really. We’ve all heard the phrase ‘I’m not watching that, it will give me nightmares!’ before. The media we consume really does get into our subconscious, and can trickle into our nocturnal lives in the most unexpected of ways. 

Psychedelics: A Waking Dream?

Recent studies have found that psychedelic trips mimic the dream state. The same parts of the brain responsible for dreaming light up when under the influence of psychedelics, such as magic mushrooms. But even if they didn’t — it makes pretty perfect sense that a psychedelic trip still would contain elements of the imagery, sounds, and stories we surround ourselves with. 

‘Set and Setting’ are key aspects of preparing for, and having, a good magic mushroom experience. ‘Set’ means your mind-set. Basically how you feel, how you’re doing mentally/emotionally, and what you want from the trip. ‘Setting’ is your immediate environment — where you are, who you’re with, and your familiarity with each of these aspects. However, thus far, not as much attention has been paid to how the media we individually consume — its form, its content, its vibe — affects both our set and our setting. 

Today, according to recent research the average European spends 6 hours of their day engaging with screens. Americans spend up to 7.5 hours — or almost 43% of their waking hours. Of course this seeps into our unconscious, our dreams, or any psychedelic expeditions we might embark upon. 

How ‘Imprinting’ Affects Our Trips

Researchers have a name for this — imprinting. A recent study explored just this, focusing on the effect of media consumption on the set and setting for those participating in psychedelic-assisted therapy. For example, one woman, 28, who had consumed much Disney-related media in the run-up to her ketamine assisted therapy, found that Disney imagery and ‘stuff’ kept appearing during her trip. She was not happy about this, feeling that it had dulled her experience.

The woman stated;

“It [the Disney imagery] hijacked it!… I’m just annoyed that I felt like I had the Band-Aid on. It felt like I almost ended up going to important things and then Disney frickin’ covered it up.”

To combat this, the study reports, the woman reduced the amount of media she consumed prior to her next sessions. She found that her psychedelic experiences became more personally meaningful, with mystical elements that aided her personal growth. Presumably without any appearances from Minnie or Mickey…

‘Pixelated’ Hallucinations

Another patient featured in the study report described the “pixilated” visions he saw. This man, 34, played video games for many hours each day. Although at first he found these ketamine trips — with Minecraft-like imagery — enjoyable, he agreed with his therapists to reduce his video game consumption prior to his next sessions, to see what would happen. After reducing his video game consumption, he, like the other patient, found his following experiences more meaningful and useful therapeutically. On reducing still more, he began to be able to engage with the emotional issues he had suppressed; one of the aims of his treatment in the first place. 

Conversely, the study shared that some participants found media-related images that slipped into their hallucinations actually very useful. Some found them to act almost as a guide, or a visual vocabulary, to express the journey they were on, and helped to project their experience. 

Psychedelics Make Us More Receptive to Environmental Input

But why does this imprinting happen? Why is Simba, or Dumbledore, popping up in our psychedelic realm? In the study, the researchers cited the REBUS (Relaxed Beliefs Under Psychedelics) model. This model was popularized by neuroscientist Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris. It describes how psychedelic substances might temporarily weaken the brain’s ability to control sensory information processing, which would make it more open and receptive to inputs from its environment. This could increase the chance of media you have recently consumed sliding into your psychedelic experience. 

So, because of this, most psychedelic guides and therapists now advise their patients to be careful and moderate in their media use in the run up to psychedelic therapy sessions or ceremonies. If we imagine psychedelics as an amplifier of thoughts, feelings, emotions, and influences, it becomes important to be aware of what is in your mind when you decide to use the amplifier. 

Using Media to Influence Tripping: On Purpose

However! What if you actually want the influence of media during your psychedelic experiences? To perhaps see characters, inhabit plot lines, or have powers à la an Avengers superhero? Not every psychedelic trip is necessarily for therapeutic, self-discovery, or trauma-healing reasons. Sometimes we just want to be, well, amazed. 

Of course, just because you binge-watch the Harry Potter series the day before you trip, it doesn’t necessarily mean that when you do take shrooms you’ll instantly find yourself at Hogwarts. You could say it’s more of a vibe thing… but again who knows where your mind will take you? Research has also found that those who play interactive video games are better at controlling their dreams — so maybe it’s a question of practice. 

So, depending on what you’re after with your psychedelic experience, media can either help or hinder your trip. Let’s check out how to manage its influence…

How to Stop Media Influencing Your Trip

If you are after a more in-depth spiritual trip, to get super introspective, and really interrogate what’s up, these tips could be for you. 

• In the weeks leading up to your trip try not to watch any particularly disturbing or affecting TV or films.
• In the days before, press pause on the TV series you’re watching. If you’re following a compulsive plot line, it may rear its distracting head in your hallucinations unless you take a break. 
• Same goes for intense books or podcast series.
• True crime and horror are generally out. 
• Avoid reading any depressing or upsetting news on the day, or day before. 
• Keep social media such as Instagram or TikTok to a minimum, or refrain completely the day before. Social media has been shown to heighten feelings of anxiety in users. 
• Of course this won’t keep all media out of your head — you’ve been consuming it all your life after all! — but it will reduce the likelihood of distracting images and motifs being imprinted in your recent memory. 

How to Use Media to Influence Your Trip

Want to flavour your upcoming trip? Try and tap into some of your favorite adventures? Well, by consciously orchestrating the media you consume you may be able to influence your experience, rather like lucid dreaming. Here are some tips that could help make this happen: 

• Watch whichever film or TV show, or play whichever videogame you want to tap into at least a few times in the lead-up to your trip. Ideally the night before and/or day of as well. 
• Perhaps reduce other media or TV you do not want to get in the way of your chosen influence. 
• Think about the specific media choice a lot. Think about the video game graphics, how it moves, the plot, so it is embedded in your memory. Listen to the soundtracks of the film you want to engage with, watch clips, check out stills. Basically, nerd out! 
• Again, keep Instagramming and doom-scrolling to a minimum.
• During your trip you can use your specific choice as an anchoring point or way to explore your psychic space further. 
• You can influence your trip with; film, television, music videos, podcasts, music, books, articles, video games, art, and comics. (+ much more!)

General Media + Psychedelics Tips

• Keep a phone nearby for emergencies, but generally social media or messaging is not the best idea during an intense psychedelic trip. 
• Music can be good whether you are going for immersive, or media-driven. Listening to music can help to deepen and intensify a trip. For an immersive trip go for something relaxing, familiar, and gentle. For media-driven — go for a soundtrack or songs with a related vibe! It’s best to prepare whichever playlist is appropriate beforehand — queuing songs while tripping? There are better uses for shrooms! 

So there you have it! How you control and manage the way you engage with media can influence your psychedelic trip. By either choosing to refrain, or choosing to engage, you can have a marked effect on your experience. Remember, each trip is different, and you cannot always be sure how it will go. However, by being aware of what you are consuming, in terms of your ‘set and setting’, you can get the best out of your psychedelic adventures.